


Thin Margins

by augmentedUnagi



Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Kingdom Hearts Headcanons, Pre-Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep, Scala ad Caelum (Kingdom Hearts)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:54:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25101220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/augmentedUnagi/pseuds/augmentedUnagi
Summary: A girl enters an unfamiliar world.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2





	1. Gardener

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER
> 
> I do not own any properties or characters associated with Kingdom Hearts or Disney at large. That said, this work will primarily feature original characters and some original settings. I will do my best to keep it contained and plausible in the existing KH canon, but due to the series’s complicated, ever-changing nature, some breaks from strict canon are inevitable. 
> 
> This fic, in addition to telling the story of several original characters, also sets out to explain an event shrouded in relative mystery in the KH storyline. The actual explanation for this event is as of yet unknown, but when it is revealed (possibly in _Dark Road_ ), it will almost certainly be very different from my take on it here. Try to suspend your preemptive disbelief, please.
> 
> Finally, certain philosophical concepts in the KH universe, especially light and darkness, may be interpreted within in ways you disagree with. That’s perfectly alright. The cosmology of Kingdom Hearts is rather vague and interpretable, and your take on it is just as valid as mine. Sometimes, this might even be intentional. Individual characters can have wrong ideas about the world they live in. So, once again… suspend your disbelief.
> 
>  _Thin Margins_ will update on a chapter-by-chapter basis according to my unpredictable writing speed, busy or un-busy schedule, and daily whims. I have the entire fic planned out bar a few smaller moments that I need to do some research (read: rewatching Disney movies) to get right, but I can’t promise that it will finish, although I certainly intend to try. All of that being said… enjoy the show.

Among the various infractions, severe tardiness was one of the worst one could possibly incur at the Donohue Royal Academy of Sorceries. The Academy’s strict tradition of efficiency, efficacy, and orderliness had stigmatized lateness in all its forms for decades, and while a minute or less was perhaps tolerable, any further demonstrated an innate lack of drive or sensibility that was simply unacceptable for mage-cadets. Although it did not result in the most serious penalties (that belonged to physical and magical assault, of course), students with multiple tardies were known throughout the institution as slackers and likely dropouts, a description made all the more apt by the ostracism those students faced.

Katrine Gardner had never been tardy in her life, and she certainly wasn’t about to start now.

As Katrine frantically rifled through her immaculately arranged cabinets, placing item after item in her worn leather satchel, the symbols on the wall-mounted clock seemed to bore holes through her eyes directly into her brain. Five minutes until the first class of the day, and a walk that would take fifteen under normal circumstances. She could cut that down if she sprinted, but either way, it was going to be close.

* * *

“So, what, the commute back from the dining hall took longer than you thought? Happens to everyone, Kat. A tardy might’ve done you some good with how tightly wound you’ve been this week,” Marcus remarked off-handedly as he stirred his broth with a spoon. “Don’t tell me you’re panicking about your first infraction… what, ever?”

Katrine exhaled through her nose, her mouth stretched into a thin line. “I’d hardly call my behavior _panicking_. And no, it does not happen to everyone. As the professor made very clear to me.”

Marcus chuckled. “Sure, it does. You think Anise and Gerald and all of those other aqua-types care enough to show up on time every morning? I may not be at your level, but I know what goes on. They’re just better at covering. Which I would be happy to do for you, should we ever share a class in the future. I’m great at coming up with fake appointments.”

Katrine scowled, her eyes drifting down to her uneaten salad. “Misconduct is misconduct, whether you cover it up or not.”

“I’m serious.” Marcus leaned across the table toward her, his expression still lighthearted but tinged with a slight amount of worry. “You could really use a break. Did you get any sleep last night? No offense, but you look like shit.”

He was right, of course. Kat’s vibrant, green eyes were reddened, her hands shaky, her heavy coat and pants covered in ink stains she hadn’t had time to wash out. Her voice, however, was as methodical as ever.

“I overslept,” she responded matter-of-factly. “I slept too late to get to class on time, much less clean myself up, and now I need your help to catch up. End of conversation.”

Marcus frowned for a moment, as if thinking of something to say, but shook the frown off before continuing to speak. “Come on, you haven’t even told me what Hearse gave you for the tardy yet! At least tell me that before you demand my help.”

“Fine. But no spreading rumors. There’s enough gossip about me out there as it is.”

* * *

“Ms. Gardner. Not who I expected to see entering my class three minutes tardy.”

Professor Theresa Hearse, Advanced Magical Theory. An imposing woman, tall and gray, master of multiple technical and civic disciplines as well as an adept in several magical fields. A former Royal Archmage, Hearse had been one of Katrine’s idols for longer than she had known she would one day attend the Academy. Now, she was about to chew her out in front of an entire class.

“Apologies, Professor Hearse. It won’t happen again.”

“I appreciate the reassurance, Ms. Gardner, but as you well know, it shouldn’t have happened in the first place. Two hours of menial assistance with me tomorrow, before sixth hour. Take your seat.”

Students snickered to each other from their seats. A fairly light punishment, Kat thought, but an onerous timeframe to accomplish it in. To serve it, she’d have to miss at least one class tomorrow, and while Hearse would excuse the absence, the coursework missed could be difficult to recover from. As she took her seat, ignoring the judgmental voices around her, Katrine resolved to make sure she missed nothing else. Even if it meant asking for help.

* * *

“That’s it? So you have to miss Herbomancy and study hall for one period. If anyone can make that up in no time, it’s you.” Marcus smiled kindly. Katrine did not look reassured.

“I could recover acceptably, yes. But I can’t just be acceptable. With my amount of natural talent, and especially as a herbomancer, there’s no world in which I make Archmage unless I am _perfect_.” Kat grated out the words through her teeth, her hand twirling a strand of red hair nervously. “Civil Engineering. It’s the only class before sixth that we have together. You can give me the notes, and I can teach myself almost as well as Professor Weber can. It’s better than nothing.”

Marcus’s golden locks bobbed as he nodded, frowning. “Okay. But make sure to get some rest tonight. Dana’s worried about you.”

* * *

Civil Engineering was mandatory for all Academy first-years, even those whose primary modes of sorcery were fully combat-oriented. Its professor, Nile Weber, was a man even Katrine thought rather unpleasant, not that she’d ever admit to it in polite company. Balding and ill-tempered, Weber had all of the strictness of Professor Hearse and a tenth of the skill, at best. In truth, Kat had decided to skip the class tomorrow almost as much to avoid Weber as she had to minimize her own educational loss. Today, however, she would have to endure.

As the last students sidled into the lecture hall before the start of the hour, the professor clapped his hands for silence. His eyes focused on Kat’s seat in the middle rows, and she nervously scooted back in her chair, hoping it was simply a momentary glance. It wasn’t.

Weber clapped his hands for attention, silencing the chatter of students. “Cadets of this fine institution,” he began in his smug drawl, “I have just been informed of some very important news. We have a student in this class who has just earned their very first infraction. Herbomancy student Katrine Gardner, the girl with a family name so fitting she probably picked it herself, is a stuck-up no longer!”

The crowd of students erupted into cheers, excepting Marcus and a few quiet ones near the back. Marcus side-eyed Katrine sympathetically. As the noise died down, Kat glared, her face taut with barely concealed anger.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Ms. Gardner. You did pick it yourself, didn’t you? I didn’t mean to bring up your past. If I’ve ignited any orphan-related trauma, don’t be afraid to step outside until you feel better.” Weber’s eyes presented only irritating superiority. As well-tuned as the Academy otherwise was, clearly, some corruption and flawed pieces still managed to seep their way in. _When a part no longer serves the whole, cut it out,_ Katrine mentally recited, with more than a twinge of resentment.

“I did pick it myself, Professor. I thought it was fitting.”

“Fitting for a garden worker? Well, looks like your bets have paid off! I wouldn’t bet on you making it past Journeyman after your stunt earlier today, Ms. Gardner! Not that there’s anything _wrong_ with garden work. Very respectable, even if it’s not quite what you were hoping for.” Weber turned away and began transitioning into the class proper.

For a moment, Katrine pictured Weber’s smug grin choked out of him by sturdy vines, but slapped herself on the cheek. The image quickly faded from view.

As the class progressed, Katrine found herself struggling to keep her eyes open. Weber’s droning voice made the perfect backdrop on which to drift away into unconsciousness. Had she really gotten so little rest? If she had, it was because she was busy working, and nothing could be done about that. Three hours of sleep wasn’t so little with coffee to help her stay awake. In fact, even that much had cost her dearly. Better to be fully attentive all the time. Better to close her eyes for a moment now then waste time asleep later. All she needed to do was finish the semester, and then there’d be time to sleep. Then there’d be time to…

As Kat’s head collided with the desk, it barely made a sound.

* * *

Falling through an ocean. Falling. Falling.

_You are Katrine Gardner?_

The voice echoed in Kat’s head, vibrating around the dark space she found herself in. Suspended in a seemingly endless void, broken up only by the stained glass platform she stood upon. As she took a moment to get her bearings, she realized the platform’s glass formed a picture of herself: red hair flapping loose behind her, emerald coat laced with silver, hands clutching a dark oak staff. _I wish I looked half as good as that_ , she thought, staring at her dirty clothes and smudged hands.

_A timid heart is ultimately a weak one. You are not ready for the world beyond._

This time, Kat was able to properly process the voice. She turned around frantically, looking for its source, but found none. “Who are you?” she shouted into the void. “What do you want from me?”

_You are not the one who will open the door. But you will pass through it._

The spectral image of a white door appeared in front of Katrine. She dipped her finger lightly into it and found it to be not entirely illusory -- permeable, but more like a dry liquid than air. “What are you talking about?” she yelled back.

_You must become stronger. You must have the strength to cross the margins. You must have the strength to forge your own path._

In a flash of light, a carved, wooden staff materialized in the air before Katrine, identical to the one depicted on the ground below her. She instinctively felt drawn to the item, as if she had wielded it many times before. Still wary, she carefully grasped the staff firmly, bringing it down from its levitating post. If nothing else, it would serve as a better defense against whatever being had spoken to her than her fists should they turn hostile.

_Darkness takes many forms. It creeps into hearts just as it slithers into worlds._

Katrine jumped back as the shadows around her began to become solid. First to appear were yellow eyes filled with a strange malevolence, followed by dark, bug-like bodies. Five of the small creatures stepped out onto the glass, stepping toward her with clear intentions. Kat frantically searched her pockets for her spell components, but found none.

As the first shadow leaped toward her, Kat swung the staff like a bat with all of her strength. The wood made an impact, but still seemed to pass through the creature, like moving a stick through water. Regardless, the shadow monster dissolved into dark particles, and Kat let out a tiny exhale of relief before preparing her next swing.

The next shadow was ready for her. Before the staff could connect, it simply melted away into the floor, becoming a pool of darkness at her feet. The momentum of the surprisingly heavy staff caused her to stagger forward, and the other shadows seized the opportunity. Leaping onto her limbs, they began clawing at her flesh, leaving dark scratches and bruises along her body… and a coldness deep in her chest. Katrine cried out in pain, but tried desperately to maintain her focus. _Magic is an energetic reaction. If I can’t use my components, then…_

Teeth gritted, Katrine bashed her head into the creature occupying her right arm. While the blow didn’t seem to harm the shadow much, it did knock it back, sending it skittering back along the floor. Her hand now freed, Kat raised her other arm and slammed the staff into it, dispersing it into a burst of darkness. A splinter caught near her elbow, and Katrine dropped the staff at her feet to pull it out. _Painful, but convenient._

With a few drops of her blood balanced on her fingertips, Katrine focused her awareness on the staff at her feet. _Once living, now inert._ It would be difficult to work with under normal circumstances, but blood was a powerful catalyst, especially blood of the caster.

Katrine began mouthing the words to the incantation as she sprinkled the blood over the staff, trying her best to ignore the two monsters battering away at her legs and the third creeping through the floor back toward her. As she felt the energy drain from her cells, she channeled it into the wood, bringing new flowering, new life.

“GROW.”

Branches and roots exploded outward from the staff, slamming into the monsters’ bodies and evaporating them. Thorny pieces of wood brushed up against Kat’s skin, but the main body of the gnarled plant-structure she had created nestled perfectly around her, leaving her unharmed. Kat took a minute to catch her breath, resting up against the wooden walls that encased her, and then brushed her fingers against it delicately, as if it were fragile and could break at any moment.

“Wither.”

The branches and roots retracted into the staff, their cells drying up and flaking away. Kat knelt down and picked up the implement again. “So, is that it?” she spat out, her whole body aching with scrapes and bruises. “Are you going to let me leave now?”

_The shadow you cast is much longer than these mere shades could ever show._

Kat’s eyes darted behind her to her shadow, lingering on the ground even though the only light source seemingly came from directly overhead. As she watched with growing horror, it grew taller and more monstrous, and finally, with a sickening tearing noise, peeled itself off the ground to tower over her. The shadow-beast’s unkempt hair writhed around its face as its huge, yellow eyes stared at Katrine with inhuman emotion.

The first strike slammed into the glass as Katrine narrowly rolled out of the way. The creature’s great fist sent vibrations swimming through the ground, but the glass showed no sign of shattering. Scrambling to her feet, Kat tried to move out of the way of the second strike she knew was coming, but she would not be so lucky a second time. The beast’s hand slammed down against her staff, held above her head as cover. Kat struggled with all of her might for a few moments, but in no time at all, she felt her knees buckling as a horrible coldness enveloped her.

The phantom voice reverberated in her head one final time. _Remember. You will be the one to set them free._

And for the second time in a rather brief period, darkness filled Katrine Gardner’s skull.

* * *

“Kat! Kat, are you alright?” 

The unpleasant electrical lights of a lecture hall filled Kat’s vision as she blearily lifted her head off the desk and rubbed her eyes. _That’s right. I was in Civil Engineering, and then… that dream. That…_ Suddenly panicking, she jolted up, causing Marcus to jump.

“I fell asleep, didn’t I?” Her tone was frantic and desperate as she grabbed at her notes and shoveled them into her satchel. Sure enough, the room was empty except for herself and Marcus, who looked frustratingly concerned. “Did anybody notice?”

“Some people, yeah. Weber either didn’t notice or didn’t care. Kat, you really need to get some sleep. It’s not like you to pass out in the middle of class.”

“Especially since it means I now have to study up on two periods worth of material and possibly salvage my reputation with high faculty even further. Yes, Marcus, I am very aware of how bad this looks,” Katrine said, barely looking at Marcus’s face. Despite that, she couldn’t help but notice the exhaustion and worry dotting his expression. Turning to face him head-on, she sighed and smiled. “Alright, fine. I promise you I’ll do my best to sleep tonight.”

As she packed her things up, Katrine wondered where her dream had come from. Perhaps it had been a magical incursion of some kind, although mind-altering magic was rare and strictly forbidden in Struyla. Or perhaps her own sleep-deprived mind had conjured the strange creatures she remembered. Even so, thinking of them still sent a tiny chill down her spine. _Some topics are better left well enough alone._

* * *

Katrine clasped her folder shut and peered across the dimly-lit room. Her roommate, Liah, was sound asleep, of course. The two had chosen wildly different paths upon entering Donohue. Liah, content with the knowledge of her own lacking potential, had embarked on the path of a Royal Taskmage -- a low-level operative with strict limits on magic usage to ensure complete obedience and trustworthiness. Katrine had never accepted the idea that her limited range of magical ability should dictate what she could offer to society. After all, some of the most valued members of the Struylan court were totally devoid of magical training. Striving to become an Archmage with her talents was something else, however, and she was bound to make enemies along the way. Liah had certainly chosen the easier path.

The two didn’t see each other much, and tonight was no exception. Liah had been asleep when Kat got back from the library, and she would be off at one of her clubs while Kat got herself ready in the morning. Kat sighed and shut off the lamp as she wrapped herself in her sheets. Some sacrifices had to be made in life, no matter what path you chose to follow.

Despite her exhaustion earlier, Katrine found it difficult to drift off to sleep. Turning and thrashing about in bed, her projects, assignments, and obligations loomed large in her head. _And that odd dream._ Perhaps she could ask Marcus how he dealt with such worries in the morning, if she didn’t oversleep and miss his breakfast hours again.

All of these thoughts percolated in Katrine’s head, so much so that at first, she almost didn’t notice the screams.

* * *

Jumping out of bed, Katrine shook Liah awake. Kat’s roommate uttered a confused “Wha?” as Kat dragged her out of bed and gestured at the door.

“Something bad’s going on out there. I’m going to check it out. You can lock yourself in here or come with me, your choice.”

Rushing down the dormitory hallways, Katrine became aware of just how little protection her coat, pants, and shoes offered her. If an assailant had come with actual weaponry, her only hope at actually stopping them lay entirely in her spell components, which -- patting her pockets with a sudden surge of panic as she remembered the dream -- were still there. However, their limited quantity and narrow usage made them a dangerous bet at best.

Bursting into a common area, Katrine skidded to a stop as her blood suddenly ran icy cold. The same shadows incarnate from her dream had cornered a pair of terrified students, the monsters’ baleful eyes glinting in the darkness. _No. No, it can’t be real, it can’t be. I’m hallucinating. I’m sleep-deprived and I’m hallucinating. That’s all it is._

She couldn’t take that risk. Outstretching her arms, Katrine carefully pricked herself with a sharp thorn, then flicked it onto the ground. Her eyes began to glow with green light as she muttered the incantation, and from the wooden floor panels, thorny vines wrapped around the creatures and crushed them. Kat felt another bit of energy drain from her and almost collapsed into a nearby chair, but instead, she forced herself over to the table the students had left their bags, and no doubt, components at.

“Catch. And get to safety.” She threw the bags to their owners, who nodded mechanically, still shell-shocked. Katrine staggered off down the hallway, after the sound of more screams.

Standing, illuminated by moonlight shining through a window, was a man. Handsome, with a shock of white hair emphasized by the moon’s rays, he looked no more than six or seven years Katrine’s elder. His clothes were uniformly black, and clutched at his side was a strange weapon -- some sort of blade made of black metal, with an etching of a goat’s head near the base and a blue-green eye staring out from near the top. Surrounding him were monsters similar to the ones Kat had just dispatched, but taller and lankier, with powerful limbs and long, curved antennae. Most of the monsters seemed to ignore him as they mingled or melded with the floor, although one that did leap at him was casually cut apart with that odd weapon.

The man seemed to be staring at something through the window. “Fascinating,” he murmured, holding the blade up to the window. Kat began to carefully step toward him, praying the monsters would not notice her before she got within conversational range. As she did, however, her coat snagged on a nearby coat rack. Trying to work the fabric free, she tugged with a bit too much force and sent it toppling to the ground with a clatter.

The monsters immediately turned their gaze toward Katrine, but the white-haired man was faster. “Stop,” he commanded in a casual, almost bored tone of voice. The creatures clawed at the floor impatiently, but none made a move toward Kat. Despite herself, she backed up against the wall nervously. _Someone who commands these things is not to be trusted._

“Who are you?” Katrine demanded. “Are you the person that spoke to me in my dreams? What business do you have here?”

The man ignored her first query and merely looked confused at the mention of Kat’s dreams, but he laughed at her third question. “Just a simple matter of experimentation. The Heartless are after something here, and I would like to know what.”

The Heartless. _That must be those shadow creatures._ “So you brought those monsters to the Academy?” Kat retorted, digging her fingers into her pockets for a component. “I think you underestimated Struylan sorcery. An Archmage will be here any minute to clean up the mess you’ve made with your little experiment.”

The stranger shook his head, almost as if sadly, although his inscrutable expression remained. “One who knows nothing can understand nothing. But perhaps you would like to learn.”

The man snapped his fingers, and Katrine felt that all-too-familiar chill rise in her chest once again. Turning behind her, she gasped as a dark vortex emerged, swirling with a strange, unpleasant energy. Realizing that her only escape option was toward the stranger, she whipped around and started into a sprint, only to be caught immediately by the neck. Struggling against his iron-tight grip, Katrine growled and screamed with anger and terror as she was dragged closer and closer to the dark portal.

“Don’t worry about your world. I’ll keep it in good condition for you. And... do say hello to my master for me.”

The stranger hurled Katrine into the darkness. The entire world, the entire universe, all became a single point of light, and then flickered out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter soundtrack: Destati, Night of Fate (KH1).


	2. Neon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katrine meets a new friend.

Katrine awoke to the chirping of seagulls and the sound of waves washing up against rocks. Her head throbbing, she gently opened her eyes, only to quickly force them closed as a harsh, sunny glare settled in. The air around her smelled and tasted of salt, which immediately caught her attention -- Donohue was nowhere near the coast. Too exhausted to try and consider the ramifications of that thought, Kat let herself drift on peacefully for another few moments, the waves still washing gently over unseen shores.

Realizing how precarious her situation could potentially be, Katrine forced herself awake again. As she had thought, the surface beneath her was driftwood, bobbing rhythmically in an easy motion over the crests of waves. Much more striking, however, was the endless cascade of mountains rising into the distance, each dotted with dozens or even hundreds of pristine, white buildings, all ascending to a unique citadel at the top. The buildings were beautiful, their vibrantly colored roofs contrasting elegantly against the whitewashed walls and perfectly blue sea below. That sight helped distract Kat from the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach she was quietly suppressing. _Clearly, the hallmarks of a civilized society, and a large one at that. Hopefully they’re friendly, too._

With a resolute spark in her eyes, Kat shoved herself off from the chunk of driftwood and dove into the water, swimming toward unknown shores.

* * *

It didn’t take long for Katrine to realize something was deeply wrong about the city she found herself in.

Sopping wet and covered in the salty residue of the ocean, Kat’s first instinct after hauling herself up to the docks had been to rap on the nearest door, hoping the owners would be sympathetic to her plight. Before her fist made contact with the door, however, she silently recited her story in her head. _My name is Katrine Gardner. I’m a student at Donohue. Yes, that Donohue. A strange man cast some sort of spell and transported me here. How close are we to Struyla? Can you help me find transportation?_ Kat ran over the scenario in her head several times more in every language she knew, just to be sure, and then knocked.

No one in that house answered her knock. Nor did anyone in the next house, or the next. Not only that, but as Katrine made her way from the coastal outskirts up the side of the mountainous neighborhood, she became more and more aware of the utter absence of human life in the town. Not a single person passed her by on the streets or peered out from a window. The plazas and courtyards were eerily silent. Kat tried to force her rising dread back down, but the inescapable thoughts continued to circulate within her mind. 

_This is a ghost town.  
No one’s ever coming to save me.  
I’m going to die here._

* * *

After an anxiety-filled hour of walking uphill and rapping on the locked doors of still-empty houses, Katrine winced as her legs, sore and aching, almost started to buckle under her. She trotted over to a nearby bench along one wall of a plaza and eagerly collapsed into it, taking a moment to catch her breath.

Peering down and up the pathways, Kat realized she was getting quite close to the summit. The proximity of her goal elicited mixed feelings from her, as although the citadel did seem important, this strange city seemed increasingly barren the higher she climbed. Her clothes were drying out, at least, although her hair was still a mess. Perhaps up was the wrong direction entirely, and her best bet was to try to find a boat and sail off toward unknown shores. Kat would need food and fresh water to survive that journey, however, and even that was certainly no guarantee. In this gargantuan city-archipelago, all of Katrine’s options seemed a little hopeless.

As she rested, Katrine’s eyes were drawn to something she hadn’t noticed before. Painted in simple watercolors on the white wall across the way was a mural broken up by gold plaques. In the center, the mural depicted a beautiful, yellow stylized heart. On the left, a gold-hilted, silver-bladed weapon shone amidst a bright starscape, while on the right, the blade’s silver-hilted, gold-bladed inverse was wrapped in black fog. Below the center, a thin, black blade with a red hilt was positioned as if pointing to the heart above it, while behind the heart was a dazzling, x-shaped blade. All of these weapons had jagged, key-like teeth on the ends of their blades. But what caught Kat’s attention the most was the blade positioned above the mural’s heart: a sinister-looking black metal weapon with a goat’s head in the center and a piercing eye staring out balefully from the top.

The memories of last night (if it was last night) were still a little hazy, but Kat recognized that weapon. The colors were a bit faded, but there was no doubt that it was the blade the white-haired stranger had carried. Kat felt another surge of nausea well up in her and almost wretched on the spot, but forced it down by turning her gaze to the plaques.

Positioned near each of the five key-shaped weapons, the plaques were written in a script unfamiliar to Katrine, yet vaguely reminiscent of Struylan. In fact, the longer she stared at the text, the more legible it became, until she could fully read the inscriptions, if not fully make sense of the strange terminology they used. The familiarity comforted her somewhat. Perhaps she wasn’t so far from home, after all.

* * *

_“Kingdom Key: To unify the realms of light.”  
“Kingdom Key D: To pierce the veils of darkness.”  
“No Name: To carry the teachings of the masters of old.”  
“Keyblade of Heart: To unlock the mysteries of the heart.”  
“X-Blade: To wield the light of Kingdom Hearts._

* * *

“Hey there, girlie. Any particular reason you’re staring off into space like a zombie?”

The gruff, male voice startled Katrine out of her reverie. Standing a few meters behind her was a muscular, gray-haired man with a scruffy beard and brown eyes that gleamed with curiosity. The man wore a dirty apron atop a shirt and set of trousers that gave him a distinctly workman-like appearance. Kat almost yelped in surprise upon seeing the man, but managed to contain herself. She scurried to her feet, equal parts relieved and wary. On one hand, it seemed not everyone in the city was dead. On the other hand, she knew exactly how vulnerable she appeared right now.

As the man took another step towards Katrine, she immediately backpedaled, eyes glancing around for any sign of vegetation. The streets were as devoid of greenery as they had been of people just moments before. Seeing her distress, the stranger raised his hands placatingly.

“Calm down, missy! If I wanted to do you harm, I wouldn’t have said anything. Are you usually that jumpy, or is it just today that’s got you on edge?”

“Don’t call me ‘missy.’ And don’t--” Kat almost kept going, but bit her tongue. _No good will come from disrespecting his authority. He’s your only lifeline right now._

Trying to relax the tension evident in her posture, Kat carefully rephrased her admonition. “I’m sorry. It’s just that I’m new here, and I was wondering if you could tell me about… this.” She gestured to the empty buildings around them. “Could you take me to this city’s leaders, possibly...?”

The man chuckled. “The name’s Wicker, and there ain’t many leaders around here, I’m sorry to tell. You’re looking at the only resident of this little old island.”

Kat tried to hide her dismay as she continued. “So this is a ghost town, then? And you’re just some scavenger, picking at the wreckage.”

Wicker snorted. “As if. I’ve got a real good setup here, girlie. But if you’re visiting, it’s not me you’re here to see.”

“And who would I be here to see, exactly?”

He inclined his head towards the top of the mountain. “I’d wager the only other adult in a several-mile radius. Old man Odin.”

* * *

As the pair walked uphill together, Katrine making sure to keep a healthy distance between them, she coughed to get Wicker’s attention. “So this Odin lives in the building at the summit?” she asked, gesturing with her eyes to their destination.

“In that place? Nah, it’s like I told you. I don’t have any company here.”

“Then…”

“Cable car. Only way of reaching the other islands, unless you feel like swimming or finding a boat.”

Katrine frowned. “Some sort of cable-based transportation system… I’m surprised it would still work with no one to maintain it.” (Wicker grunted sympathetically.) “Anyway. Is Odin your friend, then?”

Wicker shrugged. “You could say that. I help him out, he helps me out. We’re not exactly blood brothers, if you catch my meaning, but we work together well enough.”

“The two of you came here together?”

“As if! Born and raised in Scala. I’m part of one of the last lines of purebred wielders to make it this long. Odin was always the masters’ favorite. Myself, well… Let’s just say I quit that blueblood shit pretty quick and found myself another line of work.” Most of Wicker’s words made very little sense to Kat, but she filed them away for further inquiry. She had a feeling Odin would be a more helpful resource than her current companion.

“Scala? Is that anywhere near Struyla, by chance?”

Wicker frowned. “Struyla? Can’t say I’ve heard of the place.”

Kat’s heart skipped a beat. “But… you hardly have an accent. Your Struylan is nearly perfect.”

“I’ve never been given a name for the language I speak, kiddo, but be as it may, I’ve only ever known one world. That’s Scala ad Caelum. Stairway to the Sky, center of the known worlds, heir to the legacy of the Keyblade, so on and so forth. Some people used to call it the city of a thousand keys. Nowadays, you’d be lucky to find a dozen.”

“Keys… you mean Keyblades?”

Wicker pursed his lips. “Indeed I do. Wondrous little things. Ever seen one up close?”

Kat pictured the jagged, black teeth and gazing eye of the stranger’s blade and shuddered. “I wouldn’t say that.”

* * *

The view from atop the citadel was spectacular. Up here, Katrine had a much better view of the neighboring islands. Each had its own unique centerpiece, built of white and golden hues, with a network of cables stretching to other nearby citadels. The sea stretched out beyond the horizon, an endless azure carpet blanketing everything before her. From up here, Katrine had far less trouble believing she had entered a completely new world. This ocean was nothing like anything she had ever seen growing up in Struyla, at the very least.

As Katrine examined the contraption Wicker had called a cable car, her brain quickly began evaluating the thing’s structural integrity. It seemed stable enough. Her musings were rudely and suddenly interrupted, however, when Wicker lightly shoved her into the cable car and shut the door. The most Kat could summon in response was an incoherent yelp.

“Have fun on the other side, kiddo,” Wicker’s muffled voice shouted through the glass. “If you haven’t a stomach for heights, stay away from the windows.”

With a loud click, the cable car sprung to life and began trundling across the sky.

* * *

As Kat neared her destination, she took a curious look at the massive clock tower she was approaching. The clock’s deep blue face and golden hands must have cost the builders of this city a fortune, if indeed it had been manually built. On one hand, the spectacle was impressive, but on the other, it seemed a frustrating waste of resources to construct such a device and then leave it untended and nearly abandoned for who knows how many years. Then again, all of the other houses in Scala ad Caelum had seemed in perfect condition despite being unused. No magic Kat had ever heard of could keep an entire city pristine without a dedicated team of mages keeping it running, but she had already entered unfamiliar enough territory that such an idea could no longer surprise her much.

Far below her, Kat noticed moving pinpricks, crawling like ants along the base of the clock tower. She silently willed the contraption to move faster, hoping the people below would stick around long enough for her to meet them.

* * *

As Kat climbed down the stairs of the clock tower, she was relieved to see the group of strangers still present, laughing and talking as they kicked a ball between them. The players were young, perhaps a year or two younger than herself. None were particularly likely to be Odin, she decided, but she hoped they could tell her where to find him.

One of the players turned toward her as she approached. Dressed in a black shirt and skirt with a vivid pink jacket overtop, the person sported an eye-catching shock of short, electric-blue hair and a winning smile that slowly faded into a puzzled frown upon catching sight of Kat. 

“Heya,” the youth spoke smoothly and casually as their light green eyes scanned Kat up and down. “I don’t think we’ve met. My name’s Neon. Pleasure to make your acquaintance, stranger.” Neon extended their hand and grinned disarmingly.

Kat took the outstretched hand. “Uh… Katrine Gardner. Likewise.”

One of Neon’s friends muttered something to another, something that Kat’s straining ears couldn’t quite pick up on. After another few seconds of awkward silence, Neon broke the tension.

“Katrine Gardner! That’s a really pretty name. A little bit of a mouthful, though, don’t you think?”

Kat chuckled instinctively. “Gardner is a family name. You can just call me Katrine. Or K... Actually, Katrine will suffice.”

“Family name?” Neon frowned. “None of us have one of those. You really are from somewhere else, aren’t you?” At this, the timid youths behind Neon perked up, evidently fascinated by the idea. 

“Yes, I’m from Struyla. I washed up on the beach here, and I’ve been trying to find someone who knows how to send me back,” Kat replied.

Neon’s expression turned serious. “It’s been a long time since we’ve had someone from another world. Master Odin will know how to handle this.” They held out their hand again, and Katrine almost went in for another handshake before awkwardly pulling back. Neon’s friends giggled, and Neon smiled. “To hold, dummy. Don’t want you getting lost.”

Kat blushed. “Isn’t that… a little forward?”

“Forward? Is holding hands with your friends illegal or something in Struyla?”

Kat wasn’t sure the colorfully dressed kid qualified as her friend yet, but she hesitantly reached out and took the proffered hand regardless. “You’re oddly friendly, Neon. Are you like this with everyone you meet?”

“Just the ones I think are interesting. Now, come on! You can ask me questions on the way.” Neon eagerly pulled Kat’s hand along as they ran downhill towards the shore.

* * *

As the group slowed down, Katrine inclined her head at the group of youths trailing behind Neon and herself. “Are your friends there ever going to introduce themselves to me?”

Neon laughed. “Don’t mind them. They’re just intimidated to meet someone from another world. They probably think you’ve got some spooky disease. They’ll be all over you once you’ve been here for a couple days.”

“A couple days?” Kat frowned. “Not that I don’t appreciate your company, but I was really hoping to find a way back home sooner rather than later.”

Neon shook their head. “Traveling between worlds is pretty difficult, especially to specific ones, and Master Odin doesn’t let very many students make that journey these days. You’re stuck with us for the time being!”

Kat chewed on that thought in silence for a moment. Scanning Neon’s outfit once more, she awkwardly attempted to address the topic that had been stewing in her mind since their meeting. “This is going to sound terribly rude, I know, but... are you a boy, or a girl?”

Neon burst out laughing. “What, don't you like my outfit?”

“I-I’m sorry. I-” Kat fumbled, before Neon interrupted her.

“Hey, don’t leave me hanging! Answer the question.”

“It’s… I like it a lot. It’s not something I would ever wear personally, but it’s very colorful and pretty. I just-- it’s not something I’m used to seeing.”

“Your home world really is strict, huh?” Neon said, still smiling brightly. “To answer your question, neither. That’s not why I have an incredible outfit, to be clear. I wear this because I want to. But being able to mix and match clothes with minimal judgment is a plus.”

Katrine nodded, her mind still coming to grips with the idea. “Okay. Sorry.”

Neon narrowed their eyes in mock anger. “Speaking of which, I wouldn’t say your clothes are very ‘feminine.’ Kind of weird to take issue with mine, huh?”

“These are regulation,” Kat replied sternly. “Students at Donohue’s all wear these to make us identifiable and facilitate our work. Only the colors are up to us. Besides, we’re not trying to show off for anybody.” As she spoke it, Kat realized the potential barbs in her last statement, but luckily, Neon seemed to take no offense.

“A student? So you’re like us! I knew Master Odin would like you,” Neon said triumphantly.

“You’re students, too? Studying what?”

Neon’s ever-present smile somehow widened even further. “You’re going to like this.”

With a flourish of Neon’s hand, a pink-purple light began to form in their palm. The light traced outward into the shape of a blade, then quickly flickered into solidity. What was once empty air was now a purple-hilted, silver-bladed weapon with a star-shaped blade. Hanging off of the handle was a golden star, almost like a keychain.

“That’s... a Keyblade. Isn’t it?”

“Sure is! That’s why all of us are here. To be tutored in the ways of the Keyblade! And I know it has to be why you’re here, too,” Neon said enthusiastically.

“I don’t think that will be necessary,” Kat replied. “I’m really just here to ask your master about a means of getting home.”

“Well, suit yourself,” Neon said. “But no one reaches Scala ad Caelum without a good reason. That’s what Master Odin tells us, even though we were all born here. For you, there has to be a super important reason!”

At that, Kat shrugged noncommittally. “I don’t ascribe much to outside forces or grand purposes. I think it’s more useful to--” Her sentence was cut off abruptly as Neon released her hand to bar her movement with their arm. They gestured up at a three-story building with a wooden sign above it, inscribed with the symbol of two dark-feathered birds.

“We’re here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter soundtrack: Foretellers Case (KH: χ Back Cover)


End file.
